Product recalls

Having recently been thrown into the spotlight following the devastating Grenfell Tower fire, product safety and the need to improve the UK’s current recall system has become ever more prevalent.

News that a Hotpoint fridge freezer had caused the initial fire at Grenfell has highlighted just how essential it is for us to know how safe the everyday products we use in our homes are.

Which is why, as a member of the Working Group on Product Recalls and Safety, I welcome its report setting out recommendations to improve product safety and how we manage product recalls in order to prevent similar incidents happening again.

Key to this is the need to develop a portal for consumer information on product recalls, allowing for a stronger system that will help give everyone that extra peace of mind that there is a comprehensive system in place should their products need to be replaced or repaired.

In the meantime, RoSPA supports the working group’s recommendations, which include:

• Setting up a central scientific and technical resource, to help support effective decision making  and co-ordinate actions such as recall programmes
• Working with BSI to create a Code of Practice for businesses and regulators, which is informed by behavioural insights research
• Improving the way product-related accident and fire data is collected and shared.
• Establishing more effective arrangements between trading standards and electrical goods manufacturers to strengthen compliance and recalls.

We very much hope that these recommendations will go some way to preventing similar tragedies.

Errol Taylor, RoSPA’s chief executive